25
The next morning, when Xiao Jian went to class with dark circles under his eyes and a bruise around his left eye, Wang Ting was startled: "What...what happened to you??"
Xiao Jian smiled helplessly, said it was an accident, and began searching for Li Muqing. He didn't even notice when Wang Ting had left. He always felt that Li Muqing couldn't be doing any better than him. He was afraid that something might have happened to Li Muqing—that she might be depressed, in pain, or even self-harming. These thoughts flashed through his mind. He was afraid, truly afraid.
To his surprise, he saw a refreshed and cheerful Li Muqing, chatting and laughing with Wang Youai. He couldn't see any trace of dejection or loss in the current Li Muqing.
"Xiao Heizi, why are you staring at our boss like that? Never seen him before?" Wang Youai teased, seeing Xiao Jian staring intently at Li Muqing.
"Huh? No...no." After regaining his senses, Xiao Jian looked away embarrassedly. A moment later, class began.
During the class, Xiao Jian turned around a total of fifty-two times. Sometimes it was intentional, but more often it was unintentional. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He just wanted to confirm Li Muqing's existence, as if Li Muqing would disappear from this world in the next second.
After class, Xiao Jian quickly tidied up his books and then rushed to the back of the classroom to find Li Muqing.
Unfortunately, Li Muqing has already left.
Xiao Jian was not giving up and rushed out of the classroom again. But this time, someone called him back.
Xiao Jian turned around and saw that it was Shen Hai.
"Xiao Jian, are you done with get out of class?"
"Brother Shen Hai?" Xiao Jian stopped in his tracks when he saw Shen Hai in a black suit.
"Your brother Wang Ning has some things here with me. Do you want to come with me to get them?" Shen Hai's tone left no room for refusal. Xiao Jian looked around but couldn't find Li Muqing. Helpless, he walked out of the school with Shen Hai.
Shen Hai lives in a luxury apartment. Xiao Jian had been impressed by Li Muqing's place when he first saw it, but it paled in comparison to Shen Hai's.
"Brother Shenhai, you...you live alone in such a luxurious house, isn't it hard for you?"
"Hard work? Why?" Shen Hai asked, puzzled.
"The rent for this place... must be expensive, right? And all this furniture..."
"Oh, haha, I used to live with your brother Wang Ning, but now... now that he's gone, I live alone, and it does feel a bit empty." After saying that, Shen Hai stopped talking.
Xiao Jian was afraid that Shen Hai would be reminded of painful memories. Although he himself was also feeling bad, he could tell that Shen Hai was genuinely unwilling to face the news of Wang Ning's death. So Xiao Jian asked, "Um... where are Brother Wang Ning's things?"
"Oh, it's in my bedroom. Come with me to get it." Shen Hai led Xiao Jian into the bedroom.
Upon entering, Xiao Jian was immediately drawn to a giant photograph on the wall.
"This photo was taken when I was in the Maldives with your brother Wang Ning. I've been reluctant to take it down... Thinking back on the past, I really feel..."
Looking at the two people's cheerful smiles in the photo, Xiao Jian suddenly felt something was off. In the photo, Wang Ning and Shen Hai were gazing at each other affectionately, looking...like two people in love.
In the past, Xiao Jian would never have thought of this, but things are different now. Li Muqing confessed to him, and he knows that men can fall in love with other men. So, after seeing this photo, Xiao Jian couldn't help but start to suspect the relationship between Wang Ning and Shen Hai.
"Brother Shenhai...can I ask you a few more personal questions?" Xiao Jian asked tentatively.
"Ask away."
"Do you...do you have a girlfriend now?" Xiao Jian swallowed hard and mustered up his courage to ask.
"Not yet, what's wrong? Do you want to introduce someone to me?" Shen Hai said with a nonchalant smile.
"No...no." Xiao Jian stopped asking the question and didn't press further. He thought about it carefully and realized that he had only ever heard of Aunt Zhang arranging blind dates for Wang Ning, but he had never heard of Wang Ning actually getting together with any girl. He had been single for so many years. Now it seemed that something was really wrong. Looking at Shen Hai's feelings for Wang Ning and that huge photo, Xiao Jian was almost certain about the relationship between Shen Hai and Wang Ning.
But he didn't dare to expose it.
He doesn't even understand his own feelings yet, so what right does he have to ask others about theirs?
After taking Wang Ning's things, Xiao Jian left Shen Hai's house. He walked slowly alone on the relatively deserted street, pondering the matter but still unable to understand what the relationship between men was all about, and what the final outcome would be if two men were together. His mind was now filled with Li Muqing's image: his sunny smile, his disdainful dissatisfaction, his helpless anger, his hidden shyness—scene after scene, like film reels, playing clearly in Xiao Jian's mind.
"Xiao Jian?" Just as Xiao Jian was about to reach the dormitory, someone called out to him.
Xiao Jian looked up, and a beautiful face appeared before him.
"Qiu Jie...?" Xiao Jian looked at the junior student who sang very well and said in surprise.
"It's rare that you still remember me. I'm a loyal fan of yours. Your pancakes are absolutely amazing!" Qiu Jie joked. "By the way, it's so late, why haven't you gone home yet? You didn't set up your stall today either, did you? I haven't seen you set up your stall for the past few days. What happened?"
"No, it's nothing." Xiao Jian scratched his head.
"What happened to your eyes? Did someone hit you? Did someone cause trouble at your pancake stall?" Qiu Jie continued to ask.
"No, no, no... really no, I just... I accidentally bumped into it..." Xiao Jian offered a weak explanation.
"Xiao Jian, oh Xiao Jian, I really don't know what to say to you. That bastard Zhao Yezhi always says you're stupid. I didn't believe it at first, but now look at you, you really are stupid. Go and search the whole world and see if there's anyone else who could bump their eye like this? You watch too many TV dramas, don't you? You think you can use this kind of excuse to fool me? Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. As long as you're okay, that's fine. I'm going back to the dorm now, you should go back too."
"Wait...wait!" Xiao Jian suddenly called out to Qiu Jie.
"What's wrong? Is there something else?" Qiu Jie asked.
"Um...I...can I talk to you?" Xiao Jian asked, as if he had made a great decision.
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